Process of curing rubber hose and the like



' I 1,622 340 March 29, 1927. C. H. PAEPLOW I PROCESS OF CURING RUBBERHOSE AND THE LIKE Filed Feb 17, 1926 Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

. UNITED STATES PATIENT-- OFFICE.

CHARLES PAEPLOW, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF CT J'RING RUBBER HOSE AND THE LIKE.

Application filed February 17, 1926. Serial No. 88,887.

This invention relates to processes for curin rubber hose or tubingwhile the same is analogous metal, after which the hose within thesheath of lead/may be subjected to internal air pressure, and vulcanizedwhile subjected to said pressure; also to provide a process of this kindwherein the interior of the sheath of metalmay be provided with anysuitable/design or lettering, which will be reproduced on the outside ofthe hose;' also to provide a process of this kind for securing a sheetof lead around the hose so that the exterior of the hose may be ofuniform diameter; also to provide a proce'ss of this kind whereby the'hose cant-be made in long lengths and whereb the cost of production ofhose of this kin can be reduced; also to improve processes of this kindin other respects hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for carrying-out myimproved pro- (BESS.

Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are respectively, fragmentary, transverse,sections thereof on lines 2T5 33, 4- 1, 5-5 and 66,- respectively 0 i 1.

It i well known that in the manufacture of hose made of rubber andfabric, or of rubber only, it is very desirable that the hose should bevulcanized while subjected to internal pressure and while the outerwalls thereof are confined so as to produce a hose of uniform outside'a'nddnside diameters, andso that the material of-the hose is undercompression while being vulcanized, to produce a strong and durablehose. In accordance with processes heretofore commonly used, however,the hose could only be so made in comparatively short lengths.

I In accordance with my improved process a sheath of lead or othersuitable metal or alloy is formed around the hose after the fabric andraw rubber of the hose have been assembled in the usual manner. Thismetal sheath may be of any desired length so that which the strip? thereis practically no limit to the length of hose which can be treated atone time. This sheath ofmetal' is preferably formed from a strip ofmetal by forming orbending the v.

strip around the uncured hose, for example by means of forming rolls ordies through and hose are drawn, and the opposite meeting edges of thestrip may be welded, soldered or burned together or they i may be heldtogether by means of a tape or cord wound around the metal sheath. Afterthe metal sheath has been securely fastened around the hose, 'onelend ofthe hose is closed while the other end is connected with a supply ofcompressed air so that all of the hose is subjected to internal airpressure which causes the rubber and fabric to expand outwardly and intocontact with the sheath. The sheath is then immersed in a bath of hotliquid so that the vulcanizing or curing of the rubber takes place whilethe hose is subjected to internal air pressure and while the material inthe hose is compressed against the inner wall of the sheath. After thecuring is completed the metal sheath "may be' cut or strip ed from thehose and may be either straig tened or remelted and used over again.

The accompanying drawing shows one form of machine or apparatus whichmay be used for forming a sheath of lead or other metal around a hose inconnection with the carrying out of my process. A represents the sheetor strip of lead'or other suitable metal and B the hose or tube to becured or vulcanized. The lead sheet or strip which is made approximatelyof the correct width and thickness is first preferably' subjected to theaction of a pair of forming rolls 0 and D, the upper roller C of whichmay be rovided, on its periphery with any suitable. esign to be formedon the upper face of the strip of lead, which afterwards becomes theexterior of the lead sheath., The design on this face of the lead sheetbecomes formed on the exterior of the hose during the vulcanizingthereof. One of the forming rolls, for example, the lower one!) is alsoprovided with flanges d between which the lead strip vA and the otherroller C enter to definitely determine .the width of the strip. Thethickness of the a strip is controlledby the space between the passesthrough a pair of shaping rolls 'sired, the skivers or may be omitted,if

peripheries of the rolls C andD.

After the strip of lead has been dis-v charged from the forming rolls Cand D and F of anysuitable or usual construction which bend the sheet oflead into a curved or trough shaped form, the peripheries of the tworolls being shaped in ,ac--

cordance with the curvature which it is desired to ive to the strip oflead. After 'the lead eaves the shaping rolls E and F,

it may, if desired, be acted upon by a'skiver or knife G, or a pair ofskivers or knives which areadapted to bevel portions of the oppositeedges of. the strip of lead. If deomitted. I a

After the sheet of lead has been formed approximately to the curvatureshown in Fig. 3, the hoseor tube B of uncured rubber ma be placed intothe curved sheet or strip o lead in any suitable or desired manner, forexample, the hose or tube' B may pass from a forming machine or from areel over Ea guide roller H and 'the sheet of lead with the hose or tubepositioned therein passes to a forming die I of any suitable or usualconstruction which bends or forms'the strip of lead completely aroundthe tube or hose. the forming die may, if desired,be passed betweenanother pair of forming rolls K and L, the-peripheries of which areprovided with semicircular grooves for correctly forming the lead 'striparound the hose or tube. These forming rolls, however,

desired. In accordance with the next step of my process, the adjacent ormeetin edges of the tubular strip oflead may e secured together in sucha manner thatthere' will be no tendency of this strip to open along itslongitudinal joint, and this may be done in any suitable or desiredmanner. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6,

' the longitudinal joint is subjected to a flame from a burner M whichburns the lead in" the vicinity of the joint and causes the same to weldor. flow-together to form a substan- "tially unitary sheath around thetube or hose. Preferably the burning,- weld'rng or soldering of thejoint by means of the flame from the burner M takes lace while the tubeis held between an a jacent pair 0f rolls N and O which hold the meetingedges of the strip together while the same is being burned or weldedtogether. The pair of rolls N and O and K and L may also serve to drawthe strip of metal and the hosethrough the forming or bendingdie "I, orother means may be employed for this purpose if desired.

In of the burning, welding or soldering of the seam, the seam may beleft knives may be- The tube after leaving and the hose is then filledwith air under a pressure so that all portions of the hose will beexpanded and the walls thereof compressed against the sheath of lead.The reel with the hose wound thereon may be immersed in a bath of hotliquid, the tempera? ture of which is sufiicient to cause a vulcanizingor curing of the' rubber.

After the tube or hose has been vulcanized or cured, the lead sheath canremoved therefrom in any suitable. or desired manner, for example, bystrippin the lead therefrom after cutting a longitu inal slit therein,or in case the lead is taped, the f tape can be cut and the lead bentback to."

permit the hose to be removed therefrom. The lead can then either againbe formedwhile cold into a strip for use in connection with another hoseor tube, or can be remelted and then formed into a strip, so that thesame lead may be used re eatedly.

Instead of using lead to orm a sheath around thetube or hose, it will beunderstood that any other metal or allo may be used" in place of leadwithout eparting from thls invention, lead being satis'-.

factory because of its ductility, which makes it possible to wind thehose with the sheath formed around the 'sameon a drum or reel. Theapparatus disclosed in the drawings and described is used only forpurposes of illustration, and it will be understood that apparatus of another kind for forming a strip of meta into a sheath around a I hose ortube maybe employed in connection with my process.

The process described has the advantages that the external diameter ofthe hose can be controlled with great accuracy b form- .ing the strip ofexact thicknessan width.

Consequently, by making the walls of the hose of uniform thickness,theinternal diameter of the hose can also be made'uniformthroughout itslength whichdecreases great- 1 the resistance of the hose to the flow ofA uids therethroughg ,j means of m process, the interiortiefit e hose issmoot and.practically truly cylindrical, since the internal pressurestraightens out all wrinkles or roughness that wouldotherwise ap earonthe inner face of the hose and 'w ich would greatly increase theresistance to'the -fiow of fluids theret-hrough. I The rocess has thefurther advantage that the aceof the metal strip which forms the innerface of the metal sheath can be formed with any de-' sired designthereon. "The forming of .the

sheath of metal aroundt he hose can be done at a comparatively high rateof speed, thereby making it possible to manufacture hose i the hose, hgether to Kp tubing of thisikind at a moderate cost. .Furthermore, .thehose can be made of any desired length.

I claim as my invention .1 The process of curing tubing or the like .containin rubber, consisting of bending a sheet 0 metal in solid formaround the tubing ,to determine the outside diameter thereof, subjectingthe interior of the to pressure and vulcanizing the rubber 0 said tubingwhile the same is pressed by interior pressure against said metal.

. 2. The process of curing'tubing or the like containing rubber,consisting of forming a flat strip of metal in solid form around thetubing to form a sheath within which said tubing is confined, subjectingsaid tubing to interior pressure to press the material of the tubingagainst said sheath, and vulcanizing the rubber of said tubing while thesame is subjected to pressure.

3. .The process of curing hose or the like containing rubber, consistingof forming a flat strip of meta solid form around a hose to form asheath withinwhich said hose is confine theopposite edges of the stripof metaforming a joint lengthwise 0f ding said opposite edges toeventopening of said joint, subjecting t e interior, of said hose to ressure,and vu anizing said hose while un er pressure.

4. Th process of curing hose or the like contai g rubber, consisting offorming a strip of in tal in solid form toa redetermined wid lxh andthickness, bending said strip in the direction of its len h around thehose to ause the opposite e ges of the strip to. mee in a longitudinaljoint, holding the meeting edges of said strip together,

curing the edges of the strip together to' hold said sheath incylindrical form when subjected to internal pressure, subjecting thehose in said sheath to internal pressure, and vulcanizing the rubber ofthe hose while 'the hose is pressed by the internal pressure againstsaid metal sheath.

6. The process of curing hose or the like containing rubber, consistingof forming a strip of metal into predetermined width and thickness,forming said strip into trough shape, placing the hose into the trou hshaped metal, bending said metal around t e canization.

- strip of hose to cause theedges of the metal to meet ing edges of themetal strip to ether to prevent opening of said joint, su jecting saldhose within said meta -to mternal pressure to compress the walls of saidhose against.

in a longitudinal joint, holding said. meethose, holding the meetingedges of said i I metal in engagement to prevent bending of said metalto open the joint between, the edges of the strip of metal, subjectingthe interior of the hose to pressure to press the same against the wallof the metal sheath formed by said metal strip, vulcanizing the rubberin said hose while the same is subjected to pressure, and removing themetal strip after the vulcanization.

8. The process of curing hose or the like containing rubber, consistingof makin a strip of metal of uniform width and thickness, forming adesign on one face of said strip of metal, bending said strip of metalaround a] hose so that the face of said strip bearing the design is incontact with the hose, forming a seam at the edges of the metal toprevent the separation of the edges, subjecting the'hose to internalpressure, vulcanizing the rubber in said hose while the same issubjected to pressure, and remov ing the metal from the hose after thevul- 9. The process of curing hose or-the like containing rubber,consisting of forming a strip of metal to a predetermined width andthickness, bending said strip ,in the'direction of its len th around thehose to cause the opposite e ges of the strip to meet in a longitudinaljoint, holding the meeting edges of said strip together, winding saicovered hose on a reel, subjecting the interior of the hose to fluidpressure to compress metal Y the walls thereof a ainst said metal stri Ivulcanizing the rub r in said hose whi e the sameis subjected tointernal pressure by immersing said reel in a hot liquid, and removingsaid metalsheath atter the vulcanization is completed. i T

10. The process of curing hose or the like containin rubber, consistingof forming a l ead in solid form to. a predetermined width andthickness, bringing the uncured hose andv strip of lead together,shaping the uncured hose and strip of lead to forming means which formthe stri of lead into cylindrical shape around said ose and which bringthe edges of the strip of lead into contact to'form a joint extendinglongitudinally o f the hose, securing the strip of lead in itscylindrical form to. prevent separation of the edges thereof at thejoint, Winding the hose with the lead strip secured around the same on areel, subjecting the interior of the hose to fluid pressure to press thewalls of the hose against said cylindrical lead strip, immersing saidhose in a vulcanizing medium to cure the rubber in said hose whilesubjecte'dto pressure, and removing the lead strip from the cured hose.

CHARLES H. PAEPLOW.

